Benefit Brow Bar at Ulta

We stopped by after the holidays… the store was ravished… seemed to find what I was looking for… with the help of a cute sales clerk… not to crowed so I was able to maneuver about with ease…
Found the products I desired… and liked the after holiday prices… will be back…

Ulta is one of my favorite sanctuaries. This place is huge, and very well stocked. However, some of the staff are mehh and not very helpful. I’m all about the newest moisturizers, lip glosses, and sexy shadows. And now, every time I tell my hubby «I need to head over to the mothership (ulta)» he wants to come with me. He’s into exfoliating now ;-)

This is for the salon at Ulta. I came in for a blowout, which to me means a big sexy blowout that you can’t do at home. The stylist, she was very pleasant, gave me old lady curls and flat hair. It hardly seems worth arguing about, but I won’t be back.

I am a 36 year old female that was casually dressed for weekend errands. My first time in Ulta, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had been to Sonora before but really don’t know much about beauty supplies. I don’t use makeup a lot but wanted to start since I have a job at a bank. I didn’t want to spend a lot but wanted decent products.
I went in and yes the isles were narrow for strollers or wheelchairs but the staff was quite nice. I started to head to where the staff gave makeup demonstrations and was greeted right away. I told the lady that I didn’t have much experience with cosmetics and that I needed advice to find good products at a moderate price. The lady proceeded to ask me questions about what I currently used and what I was looking for. She then proceeded to spend the next hour helping me find the products in my price range and matching colors for me. She also showed me how to apply the makeup. She showed me a way to do it that I thought was a little more effort than I had tome for (since I have a 2 year old son) but told me how to tone it down a bit to make it faster. Overall, it was a good experience.

This review is for the salon portion of Ulta.
I came in for a special they had on haircuts and blowdry/​style. Should have known better. After searching for months and finding a great hairstylist in my old town, I have had no luck here.
I made an appointment, came in and tried to describe what I wanted. I have long thick hair and bangs, and basically just wanted a trim up with some layers really cleaned up.
The girl who worked on me was sweet but had no clue. She barely trimmed my hair, really messed up my bangs, and then tried to style my bangs with a big part in them. (Who parts their bangs?) She asked if I wanted my super thick hair thinned, which i didn’t trust her to do. I had to go home and try to fix the bangs myself but they’re still pretty messed up months later.
I also mentioned to her that my last stylist used a specific product (that Ulta carries in store) that worked really great on my hair. I guess I figured since they were Ulta they might have access to many products. Well, they don’t. They use Redken, I believe, but whatever they use, they were limited to. That was it.
Ironically, as I was walking out, I heard the front desk making a recommendation of which stylists were best, and mine was not mentioned. I don’t want to chance it here again.
BTW, if someone has a recommendation for someone in Knoxville who can handle thick, frizzy, super long hair, let me know.

Ladies & Gentlemen, run, don’t walk to this Ulta store. I can’t say enough great things about the products, prices, and store help. What is the Ulta, you may be asking yourself, well, let’s start by saying it’s only the very best cosmetic, hair, and fragrance store in all of retail merchandise kingdom.
Ulta offers each customer the ability to earn points per purchase, which can be redeemed for gifts at a later date. Prices are reasonable, beautifully displayed, and available for testing at the counters. I started a love affair with Ulta when living in Atlanta, but a move to Knoxville separated me from my favorite until I discovered the new location on Parkside Drive. Don’t like the traffic, you say, then order their products on-​line.
Sephora, you are an expensive step child, I love you, but I’m not *in love* with you.

I recently visited Ulta on a shopping excursion with my 13 month old daughter. I wanted to check out the business and see what they had to offer that might set them apart from a Sephora or a mall department store. I must say I was decidedly underwhelmed.
My first impression of the business was marred by the fact that they had no disabled access buttons or automatic doors. While this was never a concern of mine before having a child, it is now something I look for as I am pushing a stroller, and these features make shopping much easier. I struggled a great deal with the door, so much so that I briefly considered that it might be a sign that I should turn back, but being a lover of beauty products, I pushed onward. As I was attempting to get the door open, there were three seemingly unoccupied employees observing my plight with lazy, glazed-​over looks of ladies waiting for their nail polish to dry at the salon. I was struck by this utter disregard for my difficulty with the door because this business just opened. It is so new that it’s national website lists it as coming soon. It is an ill omen if in your first days of business, you cannot inspire your employees to be courteous and polite to the lady with the stroller and cute baby.
After entering the store, I was forced to choose a path between several too-​close displays. Again, were I on my own, this would not be an issue, but pushing a stroller, I have to be concerned with asile space. There was barely room for me to squeeze my daughter between the shampoo display and the perfumes. Couple this with the unhelpful staff, and I was in for an obstacle course. I made a full circuit of the store and found that this was characteristic of many of the asiles. I believe this may be a design choice to push customers towards the salon in the back of the store; however, I cannot imagine that the bulk of their profits are made there as 75% of the store was retail beauty products and accessories. I imagine that patrons who use wheelchairs will be at the same disadvantage in navigating the tight asiles.
While browsing, I was passed by several employees, none of whom asked if I needed any help or assistance. I don’t know if they found the presence of my laughing child intimidating, or if I had mistakenly worn my invisibility cloak and the self-​propelled stroller was freaking them out. Regardless, I was struck by what appeared to be their blatant disregard for me as a customer.
While the staff and the layout were disappointing at best, the product selection and wide variety of price points was a plus. I liken the store’s selection to a slightly less pretentious and expanded version of Sephora. They carry many of the same brands, but they also stock beauty products that are available in a typical drug store or discount chain.
I don’t think I will be returning to Ulta. A store with lack-​luster customer service and nothing spectacular to set is apart put it low on my need-​to-​shop list.